Prince Charles Will Walk Meghan Markle Down the Aisle

“Ms. Meghan Markle has asked His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to accompany her down the aisle of the Quire of St. George’s Chapel on her wedding day,” the statement from Kensington Palace reads. “The Prince of Wales is pleased to be able to welcome Ms. Markle to the royal family in this way.”

The news comes after a tumultuous few days for the royal family. On Saturday, it was reported that Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle, worked with paparazzi to get his photos taken. After much back-and-forth chronicled by gossip website TMZ, Kensington Palace confirmed that Thomas would not make the journey to Windsor.

Since then, there has been much speculation about who, if anyone, would walk her down the aisle. Bookmakers even started taking bets. Meghan will not the only royal bride escorted by someone other than her father. Princess Margaret, for example, was accompanied by Prince Philip, as her father, King George VI, died well before her 1960 nuptials. Queen Victoria also walked with two of her daughters at their weddings, since Prince Albert had passed years earlier.

The choice of Charles is indeed a nice gesture from the royal family, one that shows just how much Meghan has been accepted into the fold. It will also help shift the negative spotlight away from the wedding day, as the majority of the lead-up coverage has been about the unfolding family drama. Now the public is free to focus on what the royals do best: pomp and circumstance.